Are You Overweight?

Few overweight 8-to-15-year-olds perceive themselves as being overweight, according to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics. Only 23 percent of overweight children think they are overweight. Fully 76 percent say their weight is "about right." Weight problems are not perceived by most children until they are obese. Among obese 8-to-15-year-olds, 57 percent say they are overweight. But even among the obese, a substantial 42 percent say their weight is "about right."

"Accurate self-perception of weight status has been linked to appropriate weight control behaviors in youth," concludes the report. "Understanding the prevalence of weight status misperception among U.S. children and adolescents may help inform public health interventions."

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Perception of Weight Status in U.S. Children and Adolescents Aged 8-15 Years, 2005-2012